Improvement in carriage-springs



A. SELKIRK.

Carriage-Spring.

Patented Sept. 26, 1865.

PLPEI'ERS, PNDTO-LITHQGRAPHER. WASHmGTcN. 11C.

, UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

/ ALEXANDER SELKIRK, OF ALBANY, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ELIZA J.

SELKIRK, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN CARRIAGE-SPRINGS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 50,209, dated September26, 1865.

To all whom it may concern.

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER SELKIRK, of the cityof Albany, State ofNewYork,have invented a new and useful Improvement or Attachment toElliptic Carriage-Springs; and I declare the following specification,with the drawings forming part thereof, to be a full and completedescription of my invention.

Figure 1 represents, in perspective, a pair of elliptic springs with myinvention attached. Fig. 2 represents, in cross-section, the springsuncompressed, and Fig. 3 the springs compressed, showing the operationof the attachment in each case.

Similar letters denote the same parts of the apparatus.

It is known to all persons employing carriages fitted with ellipticsprings that upon the occurrence of heavy jolts there is a great strainbrought upon them. by the rebound of the carriage, and that ifunprotected by some sort of check to the momentum of the upward movement the springs are sure to be badly strained and very often broken atthe points indicated by the letters a a, Fig. 1. To prevent this it isusual to extend leather straps, attached by one end to the body of thecarriage at or near the center of the spring-bar, and by the other endto the perch at a point nearly central between the front and rearsprings. These straps are awkward and unreliable devices, and myinvention is a substitute for them of a more permanent and serviceablecharacter, and is as follows: A is the spring-bar; B, the bedpiece bar;0' G the springs.

My attachment consists of two metal arms or levers, D and E, of aboutequal length, and together extending the distance between the springswhen they are uncompressed. The 1ever D is hinged to the center of theupper spring, 0, near its outer edge, and has projecting from its top aspur or arm, (I, extending under the spring. The lever E is hinged tothe center edge of the bar 13, just below the spring 0 The ends of theselevers nearly touch each other half-way between the springs, and areformed into loops 0 c, by which they are connected together by metallinks 0 e, as shown, or, if preferred, by leather straps.

To the upper lever there is fitted into the arm at a piece ofindia-rubber, s, which impinges against the lower side of the spring 0;also to the lower lever there is fitted into its face, near its hinge atIf, so as to impinge against the edge of the spring, a piece ofindiarubber. The object of these pieces of indiarubber, it will be seen,is as springs to reduce the shock which is consequent upon the suddenrise of the springs G and theircheck by the levers.

For most purposes it is best to apply-that is, to form and hinge-thelevers of each pair used together, as described; but upon occasions thelevers of each pair may be fitted alike-that is, in the manner in whichlever D is formed and fitted to act upon and with spring 0, or in whichlever E is formed and fitted to act upon and with spring 0 What I claimas my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The levers D and E, formed as described, and fitted with india-rubbersprings s and t, in combination with the elliptic springs Oand 0substantially as set forth in the above specification.

ALEXANDER SELKIRK.

